postee



(No Model.)

T. W. FOSTER.

BUTTON.

Patented Oct. 13, 1885.

FIE-w" E- FIE-5.

FIE.4.

WITNESSES i fmy INVENTD'R:

Zara! h a wz'aw m J/M c, wrizy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE W. FOSTER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,021, dated October 13, 1885.

Application filed May 19, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE W. FOSTER, of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of buttons which are made detachable by the inward movement ofthe oppositely-arranged hook-formed members which serve to secure the head of the button to the garment; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of the hookformed members and the head of the button, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l is a central vertical section of my improved button with the hook-formed members in the proper position for locking the button to the button-hole. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the head of the button with the front plate removed and the lining box broken away to show the operating-spring and the inner ends of the hook-formed holding members of the button. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the button with the hook-formed holding members in the proper position for insertion into a button-hole. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a struck-up box adapted to hold the spring in proper position and to form a support for the front plate of the button. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hooloformed members of the button.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the head of the button, and B B are the hookformed members, by means of which the button is removably secured to the button-hole. The back plate, a, of the button-head is pro vided with a slot, 12, adapted to receive the curved portion of the hook members B B. Within the hollow of the button-head, and centrally above the slot b,is secured the bar a, which serves to form a central rest for the upper ends of the hook members when in their locking position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Transversely of the bar 0 and slot b is placed the flat spring (1, which is held in proper bearing position upon the upper ends of the hook members by means of the opposite recesses, f f, in the sides of the box e. The hook members B B are preferably struck up at their hook ends 9, as shown in perspective,

Serial No. 166,039. (No model.)

Fig. 5, in order that a sufticient spread or thickness may besecured to prevent the removal of the hook members from the slot 6. The straight portion of the hook member B is made longer than that of the hook member B, and this difference in length constitutes a desirable improvement in buttons of this class, on account of the difficulty of properly manipulating the hook members with the fingers in securing the button to the buttonhole when the said members are made of equal length. \Vhen the hook members B B, Fig. 3, are passed through the button -hole, the longer member,B,is first to be brought down by the fingers to the position of B in Fig. 1, after which the shorter member,B,is to be in like manner brought down to the position of B in Fig. 1, thus securely locking the button to the button-hole, the hook members being held in the said locking position by means of the spring d, which bears directly upon the ends of the hook members. The hook members, when in the position shown in Fig. 3, are firmly held by the action of the spring (1 and the back plate, (0, upon the opposite sides of the spread or thickened upper end of the hook members.

I claim as my invention 1. In a button, the combination of the head provided with a slot in the back plate, the hook members provided with spread or thickened ends and passing together through the slot, the bar arranged centrally over the slot and adapted to form a rest for the upper ends of the hook members, and the spring adapted to hold the hook members in their extreme 0pposite positions, substantially as described.

2. In a button, the combination of the head with the oppositely-arranged hook members of unequal length, placed side by side, passing through a slot in the back plate, and having movement independent of each other, and a bar arranged centrally over the slot and adapted to form a recess for the upper ends of the hook members, and the spring adapted to hold the hook-bars in their extreme opposite positions, substantially as described.

THEODORE W. FOSTER.

Witnesses;

SOORATES SoHoLEIELD, J OSEPH J. ScHoLEIELD, 

